Rail-joint.



M. A. LURAAS.

BAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 7. 1913.

1, 1 22,520. Patented Dec. 29, 1-914 2 SHEETS-SHEET "Hill THE NORRISPETERS CU. PHOTO-LITHO. WASMINGYON. D, C,

A, LURAAS.

11m, JOINT. v

APPLICATION FILED JUNE"), 1913.

1 122 520 Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 HF NORRIS PETERS CD.. PHOTO-LITHCL. WASHINGTUN, D. C

"which is greatly lessenedon that account;

3 Marvin AgLURhAS, or EA'U' omi an wlisconsin.

rail; and it consists of truss-rods of peculiar I form in connectionwith a specially designed fish plate to be hereinafterfully described.

In the present state of the art, it has been I found impossible in theoperation of railroads to prevent low joints, or an injurious depressionof the rail line at each splice of the rails, which are in sections ofsuitable length for convenient use. ,j

At each joint a small space is left'between the ends of the twoadjoining rails to per- L init expansion longitudinally. When the wheelsof acar roll along the rails and over.

these splices,they produce a pounding efiect uponthe rail ends graduallyflatteningthe tops of the rails at these points and: doing irreparabledamage to the rail, the life of besides much damage is done also to therollarring. 1

The primary object. of, the invention is to obviate the above andvarious other objec tionable features and to provide a rail joint thatis readily adjustable vertically to maintain an even surface on top; toprovide .for a distribution of the load or unequal effect of the load atthe joint due to the wheels passing across the expansion-space from onerail to another, so that the rails, .well to-.

ward the center, will receive the or portionof the strain; to preventthe slight .a'lternati-ng vertical motion of the. ends of the rails atthe joints thereof, which'otherwise. assistin theflattening of the top.of fithe rails at the ends; and to reduce the vertical vibratorymovement ofthe'rails to a material extent.

The above and. additional obje'cts a ocomplislied: by such means as areillustrated inzztheir preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings,described in the follows... ing specification andthen more particularly"RAIL-JOINT.

I Specification of Letters Patei t. Application-medicine 7, i913. sriaijiio 772,366.

following is a speci ing equipmenton account ,of the incessant.

het c. 29, 1914.7 1 I pointed the appended claims a part of thisapplication. In describing. the invention erence will, be had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like characters denote several views andin which; i Figure 118 a perspective view. illustrating the applicationof the invention; Fig.2 is a longitud nal sectional ;view of. the rail 3splice, the rail beingshown in elevation;

Fig.3 is a section on the line 3 -3 of Fig.2;

in detailrref I like or corresponding parts throughout the Fig.5: is asection on the line-44 of Fig. 27;,

Fig 5 is a detail perspective view of-the locking p n ormember, and-Fig.'6 is a 'detail perspective viewof the lifting jack.

Referring now to the w gs, whereinis '1 l 1 illustrated the preferredform f my-ljnvem tion, the numeral 1 designates ara-ilway rail of ordnary construction overwlnchaspec ally designed fish plate designatedinits entirety by the numeral 2 isadapted to; be ar-,

ranged, the said plate being disposed at the meeting or adjoining endsof therailswhere it is bolted through themedium of bolts3 extendingtransversely through the fish plate and the Web ofthe rails. The plate,2 come, if;

prises a rail; engaging portion. 4 throughy which the bolts3 extend anda base portionv 5 adapted toengage the base ofthe raill,

thelextremities of the fish plate having enlargements 6 dependingtherefrom adapted. i l to overlap the base of the rail andexte'ndloeneath the under facethereofl-the inner faces of the saidenlargements being'arranged in spaced relatiomfor'a purpose to be,herein f I after. fully described. The central'portion of the fish plate2 is provided-With aniex--v tension? adapted to overlap the base of therail 1' and extend therebeneath, so as-toprojectbeyond the opposite edgethereof, as is, clearly shown-inl ig; 30f thedrawings,,the:s saidextension being disposed directly, be-j. neath the meeting. ends of therail. lift:;

ing jackydesignatedin its entirety by the numeral-8isarrangedlbeneaththe extension 7 of the fish plate, the jack comprisinga i body portion9.haviiigfan annular flange or. enlargement: 10 formed integrally withand f at the top thereof, the said enlargement hav- 1 ingaplurality ofcutout portions or re cesses 11 formed therein, so asto extend orradiate. toward the a periphery of the flange from an enlargementwlQrformed in 1 axial. alinement with the body portion 9. .fThe .enI-l'.

largement 12 is provided With .a pin :13 f

formed integrally therewith adapted to fit within an opening or aperture1 1 formed within the extension 7 'of the fish plate.

A. screw member 15 having an exteriorly threaded shank 16 projectingfrom its upper extremity is adapted to fit within a recess 17 formedwithin the body portion 9 of the lifting jack, and the rotation of thesaid body is adapted to force the enlargement 12 of the'jack firmly intoengagement with the under face of the extension 7 ,the enlargement 13engaging the under face of the rails. A rotation of the body 9 willforce the extension 7 firmly against the under face of.

the rails 1 to support the meeting ends thereof in rigid and alinedrelation.

After adjusting the body as desired, a locking pin or member 19 isadapted to be inserted through an opening 20 formed within theprojecting edge of the extension 7, the said member fitting within oneof the recesses 11 of the enlargement 10 of the lifting jack andpreventing a reverse rotation of the jack beneath the rail. To look thesaid member within the opening 20 provided therefor after-fitting thesame within one of the recesses 11, the flattened portion 21 thereof isbent to overlap the edge of the extension 7 as is clearly shown in Fig.2 of the drawings, this bending of the member preventing accidentalvertical movement thereof.

A truss-rod 22 is adapted to be arranged over the lower extremity of thescrew member 15, the said rod fitting within a bifurcation 23 formedwithin the said member and extending at an angle therefrom to andbetween the enlargement 6 of the fish plate where it is permanentlysecured through the medium of bolts 24: extending transversely throughthe said enlargement and through the'extremities of the rod 22.

It will be seen from the above, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings thatthetwo meeting ends of the rail are heldtightly together and locked in such a position by reason of thetruss-rod 22 disposed within the bifurcation of the screw member 15;that the tightening of the lifting jaclr9beneath the extension 7 of thefish plate will support the meeting ends of the rail in perfectalinement, the locking member 19 and the truss-rod 22 preventing areverse rotation of the said lifting jack 9 or screw member 15; and thatminute vertical adjustment of the meeting ends of the rail may beaccomplished by the manipulation of the body 9, such adjustment beingrendered permanent by inserting the pin 19 witlhin one of the recesses11 of the lifting ac c.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of myinvention,illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is

' the most efficient and practical; yet realizing Having thus fullydescribed my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway rail joint, the combination of a fish plate, anextension formed integrally therewith adapted to engage the base of therail beneath the meeting ends thereof, a lifting jack having a pluralityof recesses formed therein, the said jack adapted to engage the underface of the said extension, and means including a removable pin adaptedto pass through the said extension and within one of the said recessesfor locking the said jack against reverse rotation, as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a railway rail joint, the combination of a fish plate, anextension formed integrally with the said plate adapted to extendbeneath the rail base for supporting the meeting ends of the rails,enlargements formed integrally with the said fish plate at theextremities thereof, the said enlargements adapted to overlap the railbase and extend therebeneath, a lifting ack adapted to engage the underface of the said extension for supporting the same in engagement withthe base of the rail, and means including a truss-rod carried by thesaid enlargements and engaging the said lifting jack for locking thelatter against reverse rotation, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a. rail joint, the combination of a fish plate, an extensionformed integrally therewith adapted to pass beneath the base of therails for supporting the meeting ends thereof, enlargements formedintegrally with the said'fish plate adapted to overlap the rail base andextend therebeneath, a lifting jack including a body portion adapted tosupport'the said extension, the said body portion having a plurality ofrecesses formed therein, means carried by the said extension adapted toengage one of the said recesses for locking the jack against reverserotation, a screw member projecting from the said jack for verticallyadjusting the same, and means including truss-rods carriedby the saidenlargements and engaging the said screw member for locking the latteragainst reverse rotation, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a railway rail joint, the combination of a fish plate, anextension formed integrally therewith adapted to overlap the base of therails and extend beneath the meeting ends thereof, enlargements formedintegrally with and upon the extremities of the fish plate adapted tooverlap the rail base and extend therebeneath, a lifting jack includinga head portion adapted to engage the under face of the said extensionfor supporting the same in firm engagement with the base of the rail,the said body portion of the jack having a plurality of recesses formedtherein, an extension formed integrally with the said body portionadapted to fit within an opening formed within the said extension of thefish-plate, a removable locking member adapted to be inserted within anopening formed within the said extension for engagement with one of thesaid recesses for locking the jack against reverse rotation, a screwmember for operating the said jack, the said member having a bifurcatedlower end, and means including a truss-rod secured to the saidenlargements and fitting within the said bifurcated end of the screwmember for locking the latter against reverse rotation, as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. A rail joint including a fish-plate, a portion of which is adapted toextend beneath the meeting ends of the rails, a lifting jack disposedbeneath the extended portion of the fish-plate, and means engaging saidfish-plate and said jack to maintain the latter in adjusted position, asand for the purpose set forth.

6. A rail joint comprising a fish-plate, an extension formed thereupon,saidextension adapted to be disposed beneath the meeting ends of therails, a lifting jack disposed beneath said extension, means formedintegrally with said lifting jack adapted to extend through saidfish-plate extension, and means engaging said fish-plate extension andsaid lifting jack to maintain the latter in the desired adjustedposition, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a rail joint, a fish-plate having an extension formed integrallytherewith, said extension adapted to be disposed beneath the meetingends of the rails, said extension being provided with an opening, alifting jack disposed beneath said extension, a projection formedintegrally with said jack adapted to fit said extension opening, a

screw rod disposed for engagement with said jack, a truss-rod connected.to the said fish-plate and engaged by said screw rod, the rotation ofthe said lifting jack adapted to actuate said screw rod'to force thesame against said truss-rod and the said projection into said opening,and means engaging the said fish-plate extension and the said 1 solifting jack to maintain the latter in the desired adjusted position, asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

, MELVIN A. LURAAS. Witnesses:

THOMAS A. CERNAGHAN, TIMOTHY KELLIY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Iatents,

' Washington, D. G. n

